Next: 30 Apr to 1 May 2027
Vappu
Finland's spring and student festival: white caps on, sparkling wine, sima mead and funnel cakes on 1 May.
When is Vappu in 2027?
Vappu 2027 runs from 30 April to 1 May 2027. Other years: 2026, 30 April to 1 May 2026; 2028, 30 April to 1 May 2028.
About Vappu
Vappu is the Finnish celebration of spring and of workers and students on 30 April and 1 May. It has its roots in the feast of Walpurgis and, later, in the Labour movement. In Helsinki, on the eve at 6 p.m., students place a white cap on the statue of Havis Amanda in the Market Square and then everyone puts on their own white student cap, the ylioppilaslakki, and picnics in parks with sparkling wine, balloons and streamers. On 1 May, picnics continue on the lawns of Kaivopuisto, with a spring lunch. Typical foods are tippaleipä, a funnel cake, and munkki, doughnuts, while sima, a lemony mead, is drunk. Street parties and brass bands, and the carnival atmosphere, make it one of the year's busiest days.
Vappu dates: 2026, 2027, 2028
| Year | Vappu date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 30 April to 1 May 2026 |
| 2027 | 30 April to 1 May 2027 |
| 2028 | 30 April to 1 May 2028 |
What is eaten
- sima
- tippaleipa
- munkki
- sparkling wine
Also part of it, and being written: Havis Amanda (The statue capped by students.), Sima (The lightly fermented mead.), Ylioppilaslakki (The white student cap.).
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background: "Vappu" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.